I like to think that I'm quite capable of operating in "level 3 mode,"
only I find the day-to-day assessment of various factual information
much easier to accomplish if I'm in "level 2 cruise control". (This
is, in fact, a level 3 argument: I find it more "useful" to grind
away in level 2 most of the time - just personal taste: it's much
easier to arrive at the 'truth' for me. If a discussion requires
me to utilize level 3 thinking, then I will - no problem.
Examples:
1) Someone tells me that the Yankees beat the Braves in game 5, even
though Smoltz and Wohlers combined to pitch a 0.00 ERA for the game.
I say: "How strange! Is this true?" Then I watch the news, (a 'truth'
authority (haha)), and find out that indeed, it is 'true', at which
point I grumble about the Braves losing game 5. That is "level 2
cruise control": find out what is true and be done with it. Level 3,
on the other hand, (and as I understand it), would approach this along
these lines: it doesn't care what is 'true', rather focuses on what is
'useful,' - In level 3, I would note all the seeming "facts," and then
decide to accept the lesser of two evils: the non-fulfillment of my
personal desire to see things as others seem to see things; or the
non-fulfillment of my personal desire to see the Braves win. I choose
that the lesser of the two evils is to accept this so-called "fact"
that the Braves lost, and then behave in such a way that I feel will
benefit me the most, (or do me the least harm): I grumble about the
Braves losing game 5.
Clearly, level 2 mode is easier to run in here.
2) Religion: in level 2, I will ask, "is it true that I will live
forever after I die, if I believe in God?" Seeing no substantial
objective evidence for it, I say, "I don't know." But on level 3,
I would say: what benefits me most: belief that I will live forever
due to my belief in God, or non-belief. Then, a Christian, of course,
feels much more secure with such a belief, so believes accordingly;
whereas an atheist likely prefers being his/her own authority, so
finds no benefit in believing such. So, one can come to theist or
atheist conclusions either way, but in this case, the level 3 mode
does seem to be more appealing, since the 'truth' in this case
really is harder to define than a simple everyday fact, such as
in example 1.
-JPSchneider